Read another 50 pages in Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

 

This huge book with the skinny pages and the fine print broke in half while I was reading.  It actually helped...holding it open to read the words at the binding was breaking my hands.  But the story is readable enough.  Jonathan's war work being finished, he has begun to write a book, which Mr. Norrell is not happy about. 

I'm now about to begin Epitaph, A Novel of The O.K. Corral.  Not usually interested in westerns, so, if I get bored, I'll quit and move on.  Rather desperately in need of filling in my "to read" piles.

Finished ALPINE DESTINY

 

I do love this author, but am not particularly happy with this book.  Even after terraforming the moon and creating a paradise there, humans are still willing to kill each other for land, power, and, of course, for money.  But, this is probably realistic as Melton is...

Then I started (and finished) The Road to Golden Days, a Mailbox Mystery, by Melanie Lageschulte.  Set in the same area as her Season's series, I get to check in with old friends and make new ones.  Someone is burning empty decrepit buildings in the area and, though no one has been hurt yet, firefighters (volunteers) and farmland is being put in danger.  It is only a matter of time.

I am now returning to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell.

Finished DEATHSTALKER RETURN and IT HAD TO BE YOU

 

I cannot tell you why I enjoy these books.  Characters are basically anti-heroic and very human.  They are up against enormous odds.  And I am reading them out of order (which is a bit frustrating, but there is enough background given so I am not lost.)  But, they keep my attention, and in this age of our world, it is nice to see the little guys triumph against all odds.

Then I read It Had to be You, an Undersuspicion novel by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke.  This, I think, marks my having read all of Mary HIggins Clark's books and I bid her a reluctant fairwell.  I enjoyed this one very much.  I think it may have been more complicated than the others in this series, which of course is okay.

I am now about to start another book by a favorite author, Henry Melton.  Alpine Destiny continues the colonization of the Moon (Luna).  The Alpine colony was completely destroyed by fire before the last book in the series started.  Only two brothers survived and they were separated in the last book.  Looking forward to see what happens next.

Finished MURDER BY THE BOOK

 

A complicated murder mystery with a number of characters, but they all did come together in the end.  My only criticism is the 20-something sexual angst that is a bit annoying.

I have now started Deathstalker Return, which appears to be the seventh book in the series, though I'm pretty sure I've only read three.  I don't have any others, so I'll have to figure out which ones I am missing the next time I go to Amazon.  I think all the characters are new to me, but at least they are being described.  The characters I know seem to be like 100 years in the past....

Finished A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES

 

I read this out of order, accidently reading book 7 first.  But I'm glad I came back.  I lot happened in this book that was not covered in the tv series and that which was covered by tv was much better explained by the book.  Isn't that just always the case?

I have now started Murder by the Book, which I am also reading out of order.  This is the first book of the series, but I read book 2 first.  Not a problem.  Enough information was given in the second to get one into the story, but this book does give more detail about the town and the characters.  The only problem is the 20-something angst that I often find annoying.  Also, I hope to learn later in the series why some characters are so mean.

Finished SPARE

 

My main take-away from this book is "Thank goodness I am not a celebrity" and "doesn't the British press have any real news to cover?"  The book certainly held my interest.

I have now gone back to the Outlander book I missed.  Since this was covered in the tv show, I never felt like I'd missed anything, but off course I did.  Many stories not covered or not covered in depth by the tv show keep me reading.  In this book we watch the beginnings of the Revolution develop without (as yet anyway) meeting any names we recognize from history.  The tv show took some liberties, telling us things out of order (which makes them make less sense) and combining events (also less sense.)

Finshed 50 more Pages of WAR AND PEACE and started SPARE

 

We are now back in Moscow and St. Petersburg learning more about the at home adventures and misadventures of our warriors.  The story remains interesting and readable, but the book is so heavy, my arthritic wrist begs for a break.

I have now starte Spare by Prince Harry.  I don't know what I was expecting--poor little rich kid, maybe.  His life is very different from any experience I have had.  Sometimes, especially when driving alone at night, I relish my anonymity.  No one knows who I am on the road.  If I sleep in a rest area, no one would dream I am a woman alone.  I wonder if I may have been famous in a former life...just because I so dearly love my anonymity.  We all know what happened to Harry's mother and have heard things about the British press.  But the being hounded from early childhood...well, that is obtuse.  The book is well written and very readable.